The Covid-19 pandemic could cut global seaborne coal demand by up to 10%, according to Pandu Sjahrir, the chair of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association, as a combination of lockdown measures and falling coal prices combine to cut demand across the sector.
Sjahrir noted that global demand could fall as low as 895 million tonnes (Mt), 85Mt lower than originally forecast, and 10% lower than the global demand recorded in 2019. This trend has hit some of the world’s largest coal consumers hardest, with Indian demand falling by 40Mt, and declines of 10Mt in China and South Korea.
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Read more about the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on global coal demand here.
